Spring is the perfect time to make this dish; it's when locally grown celery shows up at farmers markets. Regardless of the season, use the freshest celery you can find, and don't be shy about adding lots of parsley to finish. From Emily Horton.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add a generous pinch of salt, then add the celery; cook/blanch for 1 or 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or Chinese skimmer to transfer the celery to a colander, and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking. Drain.

Once the water in the pot returns to a boil, add the pasta and cook according to the package directions.

When the pasta is about 5 minutes from being al dente, heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic (to taste) and dried arbol peppers; cook, stirring every minute or so, until the garlic is almost golden and the peppers are starting to brown. Stir in the blanched celery and cook for 2 to 3 minutes; it should be tender yet retain a little resistance. Stir in the chickpeas, season with the 1 teaspoon of salt and with black pepper to taste, and warm through.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of its cooking water. Add the pasta, the parsley and a few tablespoons of the cooking water to the pan, stirring to incorporate the ingredients and dislodge any bits of garlic or peppers stuck to the bottom of the pan. If the mixture seems dry, add more of the reserved cooking water.

Ladle the mixture into individual wide, shallow bowls. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of the remaining oil over each portion. Serve immediately, offering grinds of black pepper at the table.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories 470 Fat 21 g Sodium 570 mg

Carbohydrates 61 g Saturated fat 3 g

Protein 13 g Cholesterol 0 mg Dietary fiber 8 g

Parsley and Butter Lettuce With Grapefruit-Shallot Dressing

Serves 6.

Butter lettuces are a great match for this tart dressing, but anything in the chicory family — escarole, curly endive, frisee — would pair well. If you prefer, fresh lemon juice can be substituted for the grapefruit. From Emily Horton.

These fillings are especially nice on a baguette, but toasted or grilled bread works well. Alternatively, you can omit the bread altogether and serve the omelets folded over or rolled up around dollops of ricotta, with the parsley salad spooned over the top. Recipe doubles easily. From Emily Horton.

For the eggs and sandwiches:

• 4 large eggs

• 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt

• 1/4 c. packed, finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

• 4 slices bread from a crusty, country-style loaf (may substitute half of a baguette, halved crosswise, then lengthwise, for a total of 4 pieces)

• 2 tsp. olive oil, plus more for brushing the bread

• 1/4 c. whole-milk ricotta cheese

For the salad:

• 1/4 c. packed, sliced flat-leaf parsley leaves

• 1/4 c. pitted, chopped green olives, such as Castelvetrano, Lucques, Picholine or other green olives, alone or in combination

• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

• 1 tsp. olive oil

• Freshly ground black pepper, optional

Directions

For the eggs and sandwiches: Crack 2 eggs each into two bowls, and use a fork to beat well. Divide the salt and parsley evenly between the bowls.

Brush each side of the sliced bread with a little oil; toast until just barely golden.

Meanwhile, heat an 8-inch skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the oil and swirl to coat the surface.

Once the oil is hot, pour in half of the egg-parsley mixture (one bowl's worth), which should begin to bubble immediately. Tilt the skillet as needed so the eggs cook in an even, thin layer; use a spatula to gently lift the outer edges of the egg so any uncooked parts can flow underneath. Once the egg has set, use a wide spatula to gently flip them over. Cook for just a few seconds, until set on the second side.

(Alternatively, eggs cooked in an ovenproof skillet can be slipped under a broiler for a few seconds to set.)

Transfer to a plate; repeat with the remaining teaspoon of oil and the remaining egg mixture.

For the salad: Just before assembling the sandwiches, combine the sliced parsley with the olives, squeeze over 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, drizzle with the oil and toss to combine.

Cut the egg into pieces or strips that will approximately cover the bread slices in two layers. Spread the ricotta on the bottom piece of bread for each sandwich and top equally with the egg pieces or strips. Spoon the parsley-olive salad equally over each portion of the egg. Sprinkle a few grinds of black pepper over the salad, if desired, then top each sandwich with its remaining slice of bread.

Sure, holiday baking traditions are great. But isn't it time to try a new sweet treat this year? The Holiday Cookie Finder has every winning recipe from our annual baking contest from the past 14 years.

It's tempting to drop everything and roam Minnesota to catch all the crimsons and golds at this time of year. But who has time for that? We've found your leaf-peeping match. Just follow our flow chart.